The one where Lena Luthor saved Christmas
by SlytherinProfessor
Summary: Kara is pulled into her latest battle while Lena struggles with her affections for her closest friend. Christmas looms, will it bring a chance for them to get closer, or will the holidays beckon new disasters and heartbreak? Will be a 5 chapter fic, a new one released every few days.
1. Chapter 1

The one where Lena Luthor saves Christmas

Chapter 1

* * *

Kara wasn't quite sure why she always babbled at Lena Luthor. She, at least in her Kara Danvers iteration, was a nervous person for sure, but she still managed a degree of eloquence with others that utterly abandoned her whenever she was in the presence of the CEO.

They'd met for a late lunch, Lena managing to squeeze her in around a mountain of paperwork. The woman hadn't even had the chance to leave her office, too busy in preparation for the oncoming tax year. It was December 23rd, but no doubt Lena's fastidiousness meant that she wanted to be well prepared for auditors and shareholders and every other drain on her time pulling her away from Kara.

Kara was aware she wasn't thinking rationally. Lena was at the helm of one of the most famous and influential businesses in National City. It was perfectly sensible for the woman not to want to slow down heading into the new year. And so what if she had a few thousand staff to work on problems for her, given everything that had happened with Lex and the direction he had taken the corporation, no doubt Lena wanted to be the first to know about anything going wrong with L Corp. Kara just wished it allowed them more time together. Recently, she was only really managing to see Lena as Supergirl, flying by at 1am when the CEO was often still in her office. She'd sometimes gently encourage the other woman to head to bed, but she was well aware that it was unlikely the other woman would have done so.

'But do you really have to work on Christmas?!' Kara exclaimed, letting out a breathy huff of air and fiddling with her fork. She didn't really need a fork, Lena just ate her Pizza with cutlery, making sure to keep those delicate fingers grease free. She always provided Kara with her own, though to date it had never been used, Kara basically inhaled her pizza anyway.

'Kara, there's lots of work involved in running a business. Things don't stop ticking over just because of some heart-warming concept of a 4th century bishop in a fat suit, sponsored by Coca-Cola!' Lena responded. She wasn't really irritated, despite the sarcastic remark. She never could be at Kara, not for very long anyway.

'It's not just about that Lena, think about the food, oh my god the food. And presents, and family!' Kara rambled, unthinking, too busy lost in the memories of her years with the Danvers. Christmas was such a loving, warm time, and she wanted Lena to feel that way too.

'What Family Kara? Not that Lionel and Lillian were enthusiastic about Christmas even while we were growing up, but I really can't just go along to the prison to have a chat with what remains of the Luthors as a Christmas surprise.' Lena responded, defensively. Didn't Kara think that she'd want that if she could?

'Lena, you're not alone now you know. You have me, you have my friends, you're not as alone as you think. We're celebrating together, it would be good if you could come' Kara responded, gently taking Lena's hand and stroking it with her thumb.

'I wouldn't want to encroach on anyone…' Lena started, unsure of herself. Kara's thumb was impairing her ability to concentrate. The woman was sitting next to her on her comfortable office sofa, and the proximity was making her head spin.

'No listen, you wouldn't be. With my appetite, we have so much food and there's going to be Eliza and Alex, but Winn is invited too. And it's even at my place, so you'll know where to go and everything! It'll be great, please come Lena!' Kara babbled excitedly, still holding Lena's hand, entirely unaware of the distraction she was causing. She was too enthused at the thought of having her closest, most important friend with her on her favourite holiday of the year.

'Kara, I have a lot to do and…' Lena started, attempting to get her bearings before being cut off by Kara again. Really, had the other woman gotten closer in her exuberance?

'Are you really saying it can't wait a day? Come over on Christmas eve, everyone is getting to my place about midday, then staying for Christmas. One day Lena, day and a half tops. Then you can go back to your accounts or whatever' Kara replied, bouncing a little on the spot.

'Next year's budget, which needs to be finalised in the next week' corrected Lena. Really, for someone who interviewed her all the time, it was surprising Kara didn't have a better idea of what was involved in her work. She didn't begrudge her though; accounts were one of the least interesting elements of her work. She'd much prefer tinkering in R&D than pouring over expenses spreadsheets.

'Exactly! Next week, you've got enough time to take a day.' Kara responded, pleased with herself. She could see the moment Lena capitulated, and flushed a little as she realised how long she'd been holding the other woman's hand.

'What would I need to bring?' Lena asked, resigned to her fate.

'Just yourself, honestly, we have everything, and Eliza always goes overboard anyway. I always manage to finish it though!' Kara said happily. It was true, her apartment cupboards and fridge-freezer were full to bursting, and they were ordering pizza too.

'I'm really not surprised. Very well. I can see you're not going to give up on this. I'll come for the afternoon and get a car home.' Lena wasn't surprised about the food situation. Kara had just managed to finish two large pizzas alone, and it wasn't even unusual for the other woman. She wasn't sure how Kara maintained such a lovely figure, Lena herself had to make time for daily exercise just to burn off her salads and sandwiches.

'Lena, you can't get your driver to work on Christmas eve! Just stay with me, it'll be fun. The others are staying at Alex's, it's close by. I don't really want to be alone on Christmas anyway and it'll be way more fun to be with you.' Kara continued, pressing her advantage. Lena probably paid her driver an enormous amount of money to be on call, and the guy had probably expected to work over the holiday, though Lena would probably be considerate about her timing. Still, more time with Lena, right?

'If you insist, although I don't know if your sofa is going to be big enough.' Lena replied, resigned. She was going to do whatever it was that Kara wanted, simply because it was Kara and her willpower never seemed to last very long with her.

'Lena, we're best friends, just stay in my room. It's fine. Friends have sleepovers?' Kara said, almost to reassure herself. She was a little apprehensive, this was Lena. Gorgeous, aloof Lena. What if Kara snored or stole the covers? What if she drooled on her?!

'Friends in their teens, sure. In their twenties? Perhaps a little less common.' Lena responded gently. She didn't want to deny Kara, but sharing a bed? That might be a little difficult for her 'bisexual with a crush' self to handle.

'It's going to be fineeee. We'll be fine! Totally fine. Just two friends sharing a room on Christmas eve. Totally normal people.' Kara babbled nervously, before continuing, attempting to change the subject.

'I used to love waiting up for Santa, even though I know I'm too old now and he's not real. Did you ever get to think he was real? Eliza and Jeramiah were so good at teaching me about it when I came to them, and always made sure to keep the magic alive.'

'Didn't you move in with them as a teenager Kara? No, Lionel and Lillian really weren't the type to allow fun to get in the way of facts.' Lena asked fondly. It wasn't exactly a surprise that her adorable companion managed to completely ignore the normal age limits on maintaining the illusion.

'Well maybe then I can get you excited about it. It'll be my goal for the holidays!' Kara smirked, pulling Lena in for a hug before leaving to let her get on with work, telling the CEO to get mentally ready for tomorrow. No talk of business or reporting, only fun and games and pizza.

Lena couldn't wait.


	2. Chapter 2

The one where Lena Luthor saved Christmas

Chapter 2

* * *

'Lena dear, I'm so glad you could make it! Kara has told me all about you. Come in, come in. Take off your jacket, it's too warm in this apartment but Alex hates the cold, always has. Come and have a drink, Kara is just in the process of getting changed again. Bit of an accident with the pasta sauce, unsurprisingly.' Eliza buzzed, incredibly similar to Kara's rambling, Lena noted. The commonalities between the older woman and her adopted daughter were astounding, almost as though Kara were the biological daughter and not Alex. Similar blonde hair, kind eyes, very similar mannerisms. Lena rarely made instant decisions about a person, preferring instead to get to know them gradually as more evidence was provided, so contrary to the way in which she herself was often judged. But it was clear that the older Danvers was a warm and kind person, and Lena felt confident that she'd end up enjoying her company immensely.

'Thank you so much for letting me join in, here, I brought some wine, I know Kara said not to bring anything, but I've been saving these for a special occasion and I'm aware that drinking is a traditional part of Christmas!' Lena responded, a little overwhelmed at the enthusiasm of Eliza's greeting. It wasn't often someone was so keen to meet a Luthor. She'd had a few bottles tucked away, too rare to finish off on a late night at the office. Better to share them with friends. Friends were a novel concept to Lena, her life had been mostly devoid of anything other than business contacts. Kara had been a refreshing change, and gradually she'd come to know more of the girl's inner circle. Supergirl counted too, she supposed, although she didn't imagine the caped crusader would be stopping in for drinks, regardless of how close she and Kara seemed.

'Oh how lovely. Red and White both, you really shouldn't have. I suppose I shouldn't know what this cost, I'll be too nervous to drink any of it!' Eliza mused, while Lena blushed delicately, unconsciously confirming her suspicions. Eliza had heard a lot about Lena from Kara, mostly about how kind and generous the woman was, so it was no surprise that she would want to bring something to the celebration. While she would have been welcome regardless, the woman was a billionaire, and if she wanted to share some expensive drinks with a group of people who couldn't tell a $10 bottle from a $1000 bottle, that was her choice to make.

'Well I didn't know what you preferred, although I know by now that it never really seems to hit Kara!' Lena said by way of explanation, knowing she had perhaps gone a little overboard, and wanting to deflect attention. It never failed to frustrate her that on their nights in, Lena always managed to get tipsy and perhaps compliment Kara a little too frequently and become a little cuddly, while Kara always seemed entirely unimpaired.

'Ah yes, she doesn't process it, does nothing for her. At least I only had Alex to worry about during nights out at college!' Eliza laughed, guiding Lena into the apartment.

'Although given Kara's general clumsiness, I'm sure she caused her fair share of worry herself' Lena replied, chuckling to herself. It was amazing that the woman wasn't constantly covered in bruises, but astonishingly, her perfect skin was never marked after an encounter with her desk, the door, the table…

'Hey Lena, Eliza are you getting Lena to gang up on me already? There's plenty of time for that later.' Kara called through from the bedroom.

'Just getting in early sweetheart! I'll leave you two to it Lena, I need to salvage the rest of the dessert before Alex manages to put salt in it again instead of sugar.' Eliza responded to her daughter, before addressing Lena conspiratorially.

'One time Mom! That happened one time, I was 12, and I haven't done it since!' Alex replied, indignant. It had been an accident, she was a child, and she was never going to live it down.

Kara chose this moment to leave her room, and her appearance made Lena lose her train of thought. She was wearing a fitted, low cut, black dress, much more suited to a nightclub than a quiet few hours with family and friends. Lena noted with dismay that the woman held an oversized holiday jumper in her other hand.

'Yeah, so as Eliza said, I managed to spill sauce all over me. The cookies were behind the pan and I kind of just tipped it over trying to get some off the cooling rack. This dress isn't exactly night in material, but I had this sweater I was dying to wear so it should make it okay.'

'Won't.. won't you be too warm' Lena mumbled, idly staring at Kara's collarbone, trying to imagine how it would feel under her lips.

'I'm pretty comfortable however to be honest, don't get very warm or cold.' Kara responded, not noticing Lena's loss of attention.

'Lucky for some, I have a tiny window of comfort temperature wise. Luckily, my office, home and car are all temperature controlled!' Lena responded, a little unnecessarily but her comment made sense in the context, and sensible sentences were important in the absence of any real willpower or desire to stop daydreaming about her friend.

Kara laughed, before putting her arm around Lena and leading her over to the sofa.

'So, no Supergirl popping in for an appearance then?' Lena asked, smiling. Smile faltering slightly when the question seemed to cause a momentary panic in the room.

'No, er, no. She's far too busy patrolling to have time for things like Family. Not that I would know.' Kara rambled in response, avoiding the looks from several around the table. The ranged from mild confusion from Eliza (who thought Kara should have told Lena ages ago) to Winn (anxious as always) to Alex (stone faced and urging Kara to somehow develop a decent poker face).

They'd shared a lovely late lunch, a buffet of all of Kara's favourite foods, as well as home cooked pasta, cookies and cake. Lena had had a full plate, at Kara's urging. She'd have to spend a little longer at the gym over the weekend, but it was worth it to enjoy both Kara's approval, and her prodding while sitting tightly against her. Quite unnecessary given the potential space between their chairs, but Lena wasn't about to complain.

Lena was saved from any further questions by the simultaneous ringing of Alex and Winn's phones, with Kara jumping from her chair.

'Sorry, gotta go, urgent Supergirl story. I'll be back soon okay?' Kara blurted as the other two checked their phones before rising themselves.

'So an FBI agent and an IT technician also have to cover the Supergirl story?' Lena questioned, perplexed. Winn had worked for Catco until recently, she wasn't really sure what he did now. And Alex was FBI, she'd seen that badge enough to know that.

'Yeah, well the thing about that is, well' Winn started, before trailing off.

'Winn works with me, and trouble big enough to bring in Supergirl means double time for us. Just because there's a super on the case doesn't mean us regular people haven't got to earn our paychecks.' Alex stated, confidently.

'But Kara, your phone didn't ring?' Lena asked, puzzled.

'Well er' Kara stuttered, unsure how to proceed.

'Kara knows by now that if it's big enough to call us out, that she's going to have something worth reporting on. I promise Lena, we'll be back as soon as we can. Kara probably sooner than either of us actually, she'll be all over the place so she should be able to drop in' Alex covered, pointedly looking at her sister. Really, she was carrying this team. 'Just stay here with Mom, have a drink, watch some holiday movies, we'll be back soon'

Lena was reluctant to stay in the apartment, but if Kara really was going to be back, it might be okay. Better than going back to an apartment alone after being promised a good time with friends. She bid them goodbye, hugging Kara, before the three hurried out of the apartment.

She refilled hers and Eliza's glasses, before turning on the TV. Nearly dropping the wine when she saw the image on the screen.

Was that Supergirl fighting Santa Claus?!


	3. Chapter 3

The one where Lena Luthor saved Christmas

Chapter 3

* * *

'Distressing scenes here in the city folks as Supergirl is throwing down with what appears to be Santa. No information yet, but it's not a good look for the girl of steel. Children everywhere who are excited to go to bed tonight must be deeply distressed and upset with National City's hero. Viewers with young children who haven't yet seen, please keep your little ones away from screens tonight.' The news anchor said, grave tone despite the surreal nature of the story.

Lena agreed, it really wasn't a good look. Supergirl was throwing punch after punch at the jolly figure in red, who looked largely unaffected. The discarded presents in the street really weren't helping matters. It looked as though he was matching her punch for punch, and actually managing to wind her on occasion. Whatever this was, Supergirl needed to finish it, and quickly. She and Eliza both refilled their glasses, eyes glued to the screens. She really hoped Kara was safe and out of the line of fire.

'Alex, what is that thing' Kara huffed, out of breath.

'We don't know yet Supergirl. Robot for sure, maybe along the lines of Red Tornado? We know the military haven't been developing anything like this again. Whoever made it, whatever it is, had to know what they were doing. That thing hits hard!' Alex said, somewhat pointlessly. She really didn't have a lot to offer Kara at the moment.

'No, really. Hadn't noticed Alex. Just keep trying to get some information, Winn, can you see about coordinates for who might be controlling this thing?' Kara replied sarcastically. She was the one being hit!

'That's a negative Girl of Steel. Whatever shielding this thing has, it's stopping me detecting signals in or out. Should be impossible if it's being externally controlled, it would need an input. Might mean an onboard computer and pre-given instructions.' Winn mused. He wondered what the instructions might be, nothing nice probably.

'That's not good. So you're saying the only way to take it down is by taking it down? Like in public…' Kara trailed off, implications of her latest battle starting to set in.

'Well unless you want to invite him home for Christmas Supergirl' Alex replied, frustrated. Poor Lena, invited over and then left with their mother. She hoped they were getting along well.

'This is bad. This has to look bad. That has to be the idea right? Supergirl murders Santa on Christmas Eve?' Kara sputtered out, worried. She was starting to have a panic attack. She was hyperventilating! Rao, she'd never be able to celebrate again. She had Santa pyjamas! She left out cookies every year (the only time Alex was likely to get any)!

'That does look pretty awful for you' Alex agreed quietly. This was a PR disaster. Kara might become even more unpopular than the Luthors for this.

'Yeah, for sure, not a good look. Adults might be able to tell the difference, but you're probably going to lose the little ones forever' Winn chimed in, unhelpfully.

'But the small ones are my favourite!' Kara whined. Really, she had to get this under control.

'Yeah I know Ka…Supergirl. You're a real sap. Now you're not going to like this, but your heat vision might be the way to go. You're punching him over and over, but whatever he's made of, he's not slowing down. You are.' Alex stated, consulting her scanners. The robot wasn't showing any wear whatsoever, a feat given Kara's power. But her sister had started to panic, which was impairing her ability to concentrate.

'So punching Santa is bad, but melting his red and white face off isn't going to look worse?' Kara responded sceptically.

'It probably will, but we're running out of options here. You're going to get tired eventually' Alex replied. She was nothing if not pragmatic, and Supergirl couldn't afford to lose.

'Fine. I'm sorry for any kids I manage to scar for life tonight.' Kara said sadly, before beginning to blast the robot.

'I'm sure the DEO can stump up for therapy.' Alex said, though who it might be for, Kara or the Children, she didn't know.

'Folks, we're now getting images of a burning Santa Claus. He hasn't really slowed down per-se, but Supergirl's heat vision seems to have had some effect on the famous red and white suit. Whatever's happening down there, it sure looks horrifying.' Lena had to agree. It was one thing for the Super to have a battle with a fairy-tale in the middle of National City, it was quite another for her to set him on fire. Lena only hoped Kara wasn't being too affected by all of this, her friend loved the hero and the holiday.

The anchor had appeared lost for words, but soon managed to get his bearings. 'Oh, he's down. Santa Claus is down. And Supergirl won't stop hitting him. Saint Nick is out for the count and our beloved Hero is turning into the villain of this piece. Why won't she stop hitting him? I'm sure this situation has some reasonable explanation, but I'm just not seeing it. Does our Kryptonian friend hate Christmas?' He rambled, confused. Almost as soon as Supergirl had scored her first damage, the figure had hit the ground, unconscious.

'Alex, he just stopped, why did he just stop?' Kara whispered, overwhelmed. She hadn't expected her attack to be so effective. She hadn't even realised he was out for the count until Alex had shouted in her ear to stop hitting him.

'I think he's done what he was meant to. Look at the news feeds, Jesus. They have some great pictures of you taking down a beloved children's icon' Alex replied, looking at the live feeds. Supergirl was trending on Twitter, and not in a good way. #SupergirlVSanta was number 1, with #SupergirlKillsChristmas starting to gain traction.

'Have they not clicked that the guy is a robot, or some new big bad. I mean how could he have possibly been beating me otherwise?' Kara questioned.

'NO!' Winn and Alex said together.

'He doesn't appear to be one unless you're right there or have our scanners. It appears, at least to the public, that you've taken down the real Santa. He's not getting up. Jesus Christ Kara, this isn't going to end well.'

Lena looked on from her perch on the sofa, before making her excuses to Eliza and getting up to leave, promising that she'd be back later. There was something that she had to do. Something she could do for Kara, and by extension, Supergirl.

As she left the apartment, she took out a phone, before hitting number 1 on her speed dial.

'Jess, get me James Olsen's number.' She stated, before hanging up and calling her driver, intent on heading to her office.


	4. Chapter 4

The one where Lena Luthor saved Christmas

Chapter 4

* * *

'Miss Luthor, it's Christmas eve, how did you get my number? No, don't answer that, I'm sure Lex has files on everyone close to the supers.' James sighed into the phone. It had been chaos. He was having a difficult time with Lucy, though they were keeping up appearances for his family's sake. There had been constant bickering, and then they'd all been glued to the screen, helpless to watch Kara getting pummelled, again.

'Actually, my assistant can do basic research on the internet, but glad to know you're still as desperate to mistrust me as always.' Lena retorted sarcastically. Apparently being affiliated to Kara wasn't going to get her any leeway here. Niceties could wait though, she was on a time limit and she'd done more than enough to try and win over the photographer over the past few months. It didn't help that the man had had an obvious interest in Kara. She didn't enjoy playing nice with the person who'd toyed with Kara's affections. He'd been granted privilege to parts of Kara's life that Lena could only hope to share one day, as unlikely as it was. Kara to the best of her knowledge was straight, irritatingly so, though at least she'd had the sense to turn down most of the men throwing themselves at her.

'Look, I'm sorry, that was out of line. I'm just having a hard time here and I can't imagine why the CEO of L Corp is contacting me.' James apologised, forcing Lena out of her internal monologue. Really, she had to focus if she was going to have any hope of saving the situation in such a short time period.

'It's a matter of international importance. Mr Olsen, I wouldn't inconvenience you unless it was an absolute emergency, I'm fully aware of your feelings regarding me. But this is bigger than both of us.' She responded seriously, every inch the professional.

'What are you after Luthor?' James said, cutting to the chase. Finally.

'Superman. I'd like to talk to Superman, urgently.' Lena said bluntly, anticipating a hostile response. She wasn't disappointed.

'Are you out of your mind Lena? Why would I do a thing like that? And what makes you think I can just get in contact with him like that?'

'Please, I may not have gotten anything from Lex's files, but I'm aware enough to know that you and he are close. It's not exactly a secret.' Lena scoffed. Really, James Olsen was most famous for photographing the super repeatedly, to the exclusion of almost everyone else. It was obvious the man held a special place in the hero's life.

'Why do you need Superman Lena?' James replied, acquiescing. It wasn't exactly the most difficult thing to deduce after all. Lena could have gotten the information just reading the gossip section of Catco.

'He may be the only one who can help. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need him. Or at least, I need his fortress.' Not words Lena ever thought she'd utter in her lifetime. She was proud of her ability to be self sufficient, one of her life's goals was to help develop humanity to the point where the supers would no longer be needed for their vigilante, uncontrollable 'justice'. Not that she didn't think the pair had noble goals, but it was simply too much power for individuals to hold, especially without any measure of accountability for their choices.

'Why?' James asked, surprised. Of all the things he'd expected, access to the ice palace wasn't one of them.

'Olsen, there really isn't much time. Christmas eve is running out and by Christmas it'll be too late. Can you put me through to him or not? I'll explain to him, and if he doesn't want to do it, it's not as though I can compel him.' She responded, frustrated. She doubted James would pass her request on accurately and answering question after question was really just wasting her time. It was 6pm, Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus was dead.

'Fine, but I'll give him this number, you're not getting his.' James capitulated, accepting the urgency of the situation. He really hoped the Luthor had a plan.

'I expected as much. Pleasure as always Olsen.' Lena said, before disconnecting the call, without waiting for a response.

'Bye Lena.' He replied, but the CEO had already ended the call. He wondered what was going down, but he was preoccupied with his family, and watching out for Kara on the TV. No doubt he'd find out in due course, same time as everyone else. Things between a Luthor and a Super never went down quietly. He only hoped that Kara's faith in Lena was warranted.

'Alex, what do you mean there's a vigil?' Kara asked, tears welling up. It was one thing to beat up the figurehead of her favourite human holiday. It was quite another to watching crying children and parents huddled in the cold, candles in their hands, praying for Santa's wellbeing.

'Some kids saw, and honestly, I think it's the only way these parents know how to handle it. I mean, you killed Santa Kara, it's not like they can just brush that off. We may have carted him away, but we're a secret organisation, we can't release a public statement saying that Santa is fine and that Supergirl just melted him a little!' Alex said, putting her arm around the superhero. Kara had changed back into her streetwear, intending to go and interview members of the crowd for her actual job. She wasn't yet feeling ready though, she doubted she would feel any more composed hearing the reactions up close.

'What do I do Alex?' She asked, lost.

'Nothing you can do. Just hope and pray that this all blows over.' Alex replied, frustrated. Whoever had done this, they'd played right into their hands. Alex had initially suspected Lena, as was her default these days. But she'd quickly dismissed the thought. The youngest Luthor had obviously been trying to hide affection from Kara at dinner, her sister remaining oblivious. She doubted Lena would have accepted the invite if she'd been planning something, but especially doubted that she'd be willing to ruin her crush's favourite holiday, even if she wasn't aware she and Supergirl were the same person. Alex wondered how that revelation might go, before dismissing the thought. She didn't even want to think about the potential negative repercussions of Lena finding out she'd been duped. She especially didn't want to know if Kara returned the feelings, though she suspected that her sister might. She and Luthor were awfully close, and Kara didn't exactly have the regular hang-ups about things like sexuality or gender. The Kryptonians were more about mental compatibility than anything else, and this Luthor and Super? They had compatibility in spades.

'And if it doesn't?' Kara questioned, pulling Alex from her thoughts.

'Well, I'm sure if you dyed your hair and changed your outfit, we can come up with another persona? Or you can save mom the worry and retire from being the girl of steel?' Alex replied, only half-jokingly. She didn't really see a way out of this for her sister. Public perception wasn't an enemy you could shoot with a gun, however much Alex wanted to solve this for her.

'Not helpful Alex. I'm not just leaving.' Kara said, aghast. Supergirl, a mantle she'd taken on with youthful exuberance, had quickly become a core part of her identify and a reason for being. It helped her connect both with her Kryptonian identity she'd had to carefully hide, while at the same time, helped the losses she'd faced be mitigated by the good she was able to do.

'No, I know.' Alex sighed, drawing her sister into a hug.

'Miss Luthor, Jimmy told me you wanted a word with me, and to use the Fortress of Solitude?' He said by way of greeting. Whatever it is you need, I'm sorry, but I can't grant you access.'

Lena smiled despite herself. She did so love it when people acted efficiently in a crisis. 'It's for your cousin. Have you seen what's been happening? There are crowds in the street calling for her cape? Small children are throwing away their Supergirl toys!

'And how am I supposed to be able to help with that? It's not like I can just punch things to make it go away. It's what went wrong in the first place.' He questioned. In his day job he was a reporter, but Lena didn't know that, and he doubted a single publication in another city would do much to mitigate the tide of hatred flowing Kara's way. He hated feeling helpless, but he didn't see how there was anything he could do. He hoped Lena's idea was good, it must be to be desperate enough to get in contact with him personally.

'Have you ever wondered how Lex kept getting up and fighting back, despite your constantly trying to reveal his nefarious plots?' Lena asked.

'Yes, because he was a manipulative madman' Superman answered firmly.

'No, because having good PR is one of the core foundations of running a successful business. He knew exactly how things would look, how to make you look bad, how to save his image. I should have known the second that robot went down.' Lena stated. Really, Lex should have lost public faith long before his trial. It was only his influence with the media and image as a force for technological good which had managed to spare him judgement for so long.

'Robot? The media hasn't said anything about a robot.' Superman responded, confused.

'Come on wonderboy, it's obvious. Something strong enough not to take damage from Kara, but shuts down the second it takes some visible damage? Could only be mechanical. And I only know one company with the capacity to make something THAT advanced.' Lena explained, somewhat impatiently. She wished Kara was here. Despite her degree in literature, the other woman always seemed to grasp Lena's concepts quickly, and was grateful to have her to bounce ideas off. This man in front of her, while not unintelligent, was set in his ways, too unwilling to look beyond the box that often constrained human thinking.

'L Corp.' he answered, the answer more clear now, given the woman in front of him. He wondered if this was a confession of sorts, before dismissing the notion. Lena Luthor was anything except stupid, and turning herself in while nobody suspected her? Not exactly the smartest move.

'No, Luthor Corp.' Lena corrected. Sure, L Corp was their new brand (as she was constantly reminding everyone), but they didn't manufacture anything with these kind of destructive capabilities. Lena was all about regenerative medicine, clean energy and nanotechnology these days, and her company along with her. While she was certain she had discovered most of the corporation's assets, she wasn't naive enough to think she'd been able to locate everything. She wouldn't be surprised at all if Lex hadn't managed to salvage a few bases here and there.

'Lex is in prison.' Superman responded, surprised. He'd put him there himself, the diabolical genius couldn't have possibly escaped, could he?

'Lex could have orchestrated this from a cell. And what's better is, he didn't even need to harm Supergirl to kill her. Look at the news, look at social media. Her day is done, or will be if we don't fix this ASAP.' Lena responded, frustrated. If only super muscles came with super brains. The robot, once activated, would require no signal, just simple instructions. Stay visible, keep wearing her down but don't seriously harm her, stop when the Santa clothes are damaged enough. Simple stuff, but devastatingly effective, hugely impactful imagery for the average person. She almost admired the brilliance really, if the concept wasn't going to be so horrifying for Kara. She wondered if the reporter had come back yet. Oddly, she hadn't yet seen a headline from the other woman, bizarre given she'd headed out at the beginning of the crisis. She didn't really have time to dwell on it though. Too much to do.

'Okay Lena, what do you need me to do?' Supergirl sighed. Perhaps it was time to show the faith in the youngest Luthor that Kara always had. Perhaps things were really going to change between their families. He certainly hoped so.


	5. Chapter 5

The one where Lena Luthor saved Christmas

Chapter 5

* * *

'Going live in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1' The director said from the doorway of Lena's spacious office. They'd collectively chosen to film the broadcast here, less contrived a setting than the building's studio.

'Good evening National City.' Lena began, nervous, though she didn't betray her fears to the camera. She was dressed elegantly as always, her CEO attire was the garb in which she was most confident, and tonight's events were some she had never anticipated occurring, much less with so little notice. She only hoped Superman would be able to play his part as well as she had.

'For those who do not know me, my name is Lena Luthor, CEO of L Corp.' She continued. She didn't imagine there were many adults who were unaware of her, her notoriety proceeded her after all, but she was addressing children, and she doubted many of the under 10s kept up to date with current events much.

'First let me begin by explaining how I'm speaking to you, before moving on to why.' Nobody was going to be taking her word on faith, and she had just appeared on every TV and every channel in the city without warning.

'I'm using the emergency broadcast system, setup for times of great crisis. This is one such time.' She explained seriously. Thousands of children distraught, she definitely thought it counted. Especially given she knew how unhappy Kara might be. The CEO had tried to contact the other woman, even just to give some moral support, but had received no answer. Whatever she was up to, she must be busy. She was probably going to get even busier. She hoped she'd get a free pass from the authorities for this minor infraction, the system was laughably easy to hack into.

'We have lost a major icon today, in battle scenes both horrific for their violence, but more importantly, because of the hero we have lost faith in.' Lena continued.

'Let me tell you now, that Supergirl is as good and as kind as she ever was.' She said, dramatically. She'd done a couple of theatre courses in college, she KNEW how to bring the gravitas.

'But I have a surprise for you, people of National City, and especially the youngest of you listening.' She continued, quieting her voice and leaning forward, hoping that her audience was rapt enough to lean forward into their screens.

'L Corp has been a rebranding, to move away from a company, Luthor Corp, with a well-deserved negative press. My brother, now imprisoned, developed terrifying weaponry in a hopeless feud against the aliens among us, in particular Supergirl's cousin, Superman.' A bit of background for the very few unaware. Hopefully it wouldn't come back to bite her.

'Though I've always spoken out firmly against Lex, few have been willing to believe that I've wanted to change the company for the better. We develop clean technology to help people, a world away from the pain and suffering Lex continually brought.' Perhaps that might mitigate the situation with the stockholders.

'This, today, is the work of my brother, of that I have no doubt. Only he has the capability and the resources to have built a replica to match Supergirl.' She explained gently.

'The Santa you saw fall today wasn't real. A robot, made to fall at the first sign of Supergirl's superiority. To make you lose hope in her goodness, today of all days.'

'I know this will be difficult to believe, having witnessed it with your own eyes. But we don't have to take it on faith, not anymore.' Lena continued. She'd had a thought, hours ago, and had been working ever since to achieve it. Few who knew her well would ever think she'd be the one going out on a limb to save Christmas. The things she did for love and friendship, honestly.

'Being a billionaire has its privileges, I'm aware of that more than most. But now I choose to use those connections as a force for hope.'

'In a moment, we go live to the North Pole, where Santa himself is ready to give a message of hope to the young people of the city.' She really hoped her face seemed as inscrutable as ever.

'Thank you for listening, and I hope you all have a merry Christmas, filled with family and love and joy.' End scene, camera feed redirected. Lena breathed a sigh of relief and poured herself a glass of the good scotch. Hopefully this would all blow over.

'Er, hi, am I on?' Clark started, entirely unconvincingly. Lena had helpfully arranged a last-minute rental suit for him, a really high quality one, and he'd been able to pick it up a few blocks away from his apartment. He wasn't entirely convinced of how successful he'd be playing a rotund older man, but he'd give it his best shot. Lena had been right, their only option now was to fight loss of hope with hope. He'd donned the padding with good graces, ignored the scratchiness of the ultra-realistic beard. The CEO had given him a camera and set it up to feed, he didn't have to worry about activating it, it was a live feed, ready to be accessed. He had been assured that he wouldn't be visible to the masses until Lena finished her segment, but he nevertheless stayed entirely still for the duration. It wouldn't do to out himself as Superman, or even worse, Clark.

'Sorry, I'm not used to being filmed.' He began again, slightly flustered. It didn't help that he was having to use a third iteration of his voice, this time trying to sound wizened and kindly instead of powerful or nervous.

'As you can see, I'm in my Grotto, wearing my suit and ready to fly tonight.' Perhaps explaining the obvious, but some people would probably need a second to adjust. His fortress looked astonishingly appropriate as a Christmas setting, covered in ice and snow. Lena had given him a beautiful looking sleigh to take with him too, not exactly easy to keep out of sight. Clark had flown straight up with it and just kept above the clouds until he landed.

'Everything Miss Luthor has said is true. I was deeply saddened to learn that her brother had used your belief to make a villain out of a hero.' Back on track Superman, nice and easy, he thought. Lena had started to relax too, back in her office. Who knew the man of steel could pull off pudgy old codger so well?

'Miss Luthor got in contact with me, and I've taken time out of my busy preparations wrapping presents and talking to my reindeer to give you a message of hope.' Less convincing, but still something. Santa helped wrap the presents right?

'I exist, I support the supers, and indeed Miss Luthor, and I'll see you all very shortly.' Blunt and to the point. Credit where credit was due, Lena had had nothing to really lose in the latest scheme, and she'd gone far out of her way to help his cousin. It was the least he could do to help her stock prices. Maybe help get her a bit of positive publicity she was always after.

'How do you know that I'm the real Santa?' Clark asked, smiling into the camera. He really liked this part.

He strode over to the sleigh, stacked with fake presents. Unbeknownst to the audience, there were handles inside, out of sight. Clark sat on the seat, took the weight of the vessel and took flight, hovering just above the camera.

'Merry Christmas everyone!' He said cheerily. Lena had the good sense to cut the feed there. If she'd left it any longer, Clark may have felt uncomfortable enough with the situation to wave, likely upturning or breaking the craft.

Lena checked Twitter. #LenaSavesChristmas and #SantaLovesSupers were trending. The news outlets had been handed back control, with everyone covering the story. She wondered where Kara was, still no news from CatCo.

She poured herself another drink, before settling in to wait. If Kara hadn't published, it meant that she wouldn't yet be back at the apartment. As much as she liked Eliza, she didn't think it was appropriate for her to loiter there. Christmas and joy was for other peoples' families, she was content with her paperwork, of which she had plenty. And now she needed to start to mitigate the potential distaste of the board. While the public at large seemed happy enough with her, she'd involved the company very publicly in a matter which was not their concern, and could have seriously damaged their reputation.

She didn't get very far though, before National City's hero was gently knocking on her balcony window, cape fluttering in the breeze. She supposed she should have suspected it, but honestly, she hadn't wanted to think about the inevitable awkward confrontation. She liked Supergirl well enough, the woman was certainly decent enough to Kara. But she didn't know how the hero might feel about her brother's initial role in the drama.

'Lena, can I come in please?' Supergirl asked through the glass, after the CEO had failed to respond for a significant amount of time. Lena rose from behind her desk, putting the lid into the decanter before walking slowly over to the door. The hero could have easily gotten in if she'd wanted to, but she'd chosen to wait patiently. Mustn't be that cross then, she mused.

She was quite taken aback when the taller woman immediately took her into a hug. Of all the ways this could have gone down, this wasn't the one she'd have guessed. The super hugged her a little too tightly, but Lena revelled in it. She wasn't normally tactile person outside of maybe Kara, but it had been a trying day. The blonde woman smelled of smoke, and there was a hint of perfume which seemed familiar, but she struggled to place over the stronger scent. Poor santabot.

'Thank you! Nobody has ever… we were so lost, I didn't know what to do!' She rambled adorably. Lena's heart ached for her. Supergirl's confidence was absent, and it was clear the day had had a profound impact for her.

'Supergirl, are you crying?' Lena noticed with alarm.

'Maybe a little? I'm just so overwhelmed. I didn't think you cared. How did you get Superman to agree?' Supergirl continued. Lena's actions had been entirely unanticipated. As far as everyone knew, she was having drinks in the apartment with Eliza. Kara had had a couple of missed calls earlier on, but she hadn't had time to answer. When they'd gotten word about the broadcast, the entire DEO had stopped to watch it in full. Alex had nearly fainted with shock. Kara herself had had to sit down immediately, the metal chair creaking as she descended too hard and fast for its tolerances.

'He cares about you. His fears about my motives were less important to him than his desire to see the situation righted. And I do too. Kara is very dear to me, and while you and I aren't very close, I know how important you are to her, and how much Christmas means to her.' Lena responded, smiling gently. Their hug had ended, but they still stood closely together, Lena's right arm raising to gently stroke Supergirl's upper arm in what she hoped was a comforting manner. She really didn't spend a lot of time reassuring people.

'Aren't you supposed to be at Kara's place anyway?' Supergirl asked, without really thinking it through.

'How would you know about that? And I haven't seen any of her writing go up, which means she must be occupied. She wouldn't go home without the story. She's tenacious like that.' Lena answered, smiling fondly as she though of her friend. She supposed Kara had let it slip to the hero that she'd invited Lena, not that she minded.

'Oh, not as tenacious as you. How did you even think of it?' Kara said playfully.

'Kara again. She just seemed so radiant when she talked about the holiday, so hopefully, so excited to spend time with the people she cared about. I realised that what the people had lost when they saw your fight was hope. And the only way to bring that back was to prove to them that their icon was alive as well.' Lena rambled, unusual for her.

'You think she's radiant?' Kara asked, blushing.

'I think perhaps this scotch is hitting me a little harder than I wanted. I didn't mean to be so forthcoming.' Lena responded, nervous. She doubted the Girl of Steel would rush off to tell her friend about her attraction, but she hadn't meant to make it that obvious.

'Why not stage it in a grotto?' Supergirl asked, giving Lena a reprieve. It was good to know her friend thought she looked nice, it was always nice to receive a compliment.

'Well, nobody was likely to believe me if I took over a department store to film it. I'm aware through my brother that your cousin has an ice fortress, it didn't seem too far-fetched that it could be used as a polar base. Added advantage of Superman actually being able to fly a sleigh.' Lena laughed, grateful for the diversion.

'I… you are so smart Lena. You found the solution where dozens of government agents and two superheroes couldn't. And you're just going to go back to work? Come home with me.' Kara asked seriously, forgetting momentarily that instead of her glasses and comfortable clothes, she was in her distinctive blue and red outfit.

'Supergirl, I don't know where you live, and I have plans, I'm just choosing to delay re-joining them. I have work to do.' Lena said, feigning irritation.

'It can wait Lena. And you do. It's about time I showed you.' Kara said seriously.

'Where you live?' Lena asked, confused.

'No, you know that already. Who I am.' Kara said, smiling nervously before reaching up to tie her hair and taking her spare glasses from the secret pocket in her boot.

'Kara' Lena said quietly, after a moment. Such a simple disguise and yet it fooled so many. It was more the attitude than anything else really, she really should have caught on when Supergirl had rambled at her and gone in for a hug.

'I'm sorry I didn't…' Kara began to apologise. With her other friends, she'd had a lot of explaining to do, with hurt feelings and time to adjust. But Lena quickly interrupted her.

'It's fine. Secret identities are secret for a reason. I certainly haven't got the best background.' Lena began, before being cut off by Kara.

'It's not that. I finally felt that I had a person I could be myself with. Who didn't see the superhero, who wasn't afraid to relax around me. Everyone else is so aware of my powers that it was refreshing to be awkward Kara Danvers with you. And Supergirl doesn't intimidate you in the slightest. Do you know how rare that is?' She explained passionately. Lena had felt for the longest time like the only person she could be Kara Zor-El with, other than maybe Alex, though the CEO hadn't known it. Kara hoped she wouldn't lose that now.

'Then why tell me now?' Lena asked, stepping closer to her friend. She had been momentarily hurt, but had quickly understood the reasoning. She was a person well used to locking away parts of herself, she couldn't begrudge her closest friend the opportunity to finally be all of herself, even in secret.

'Because I really don't want to hide from you anymore. You've proven so often how trustworthy you are, and I don't want to lie to you anymore. I want to be honest with you.' Kara said, taking Lena's hand. No more lies from here on out. Alex would have to cope, she'd certainly been proven wrong today. No doubt Lena would be an asset of immense value to the DEO anyway, not that Kara really cared about that. She cared about her friend.

'I want to be honest with you too, in the interest of new beginnings and Christmas and whatever.' Lena started, trying to feel seem more confident than she felt. Kara's hand in hers was incredibly warm and incredibly distracting. Enough was enough. It was an evening for revelations and Lena was tired of trying to hide her affection.

'Don't tell me you're a superhero too' Kara asked jokingly, to try and break the tension.

'No, but please don't hate me for this.' Lena smiled, but immediately turned serious once again.

'Lena, I could never hate you. You're my favourite person' Kara said gently, brushing Lena's fingers with her thumb. Lena took a breath, before sighing.

'And you're mine. In fact, I like you a little too much. A lot too much actually.' She replied. Finally.

'Oh.' Recognition dawned on Kara's face. After months of flirting and closeness, it had taken a very direct admission for her friend to see what she meant to Lena. God she was oblivious. Lena loved her anyway.

'Yeah, I'm sorry, you're just so… you, and I really couldn't help it. Sorry. We can forget this ever happened.' Lena began, trying to control the damage. She couldn't bear to lose her friend, though she didn't for a second think Kara was that unreasonable.

'No, that… that wasn't an oh as in an 'oh no'. I'm surprised but happy about it? I admire you a lot Lena, and Rao you're pretty. Oh gosh, I'm rambling. Please stop me. I think we'd be really good together, only if you wanted though. Totally no pressure. It's not like I haven't thought about dating you. I'm just surprised you'd want to. You're so successful and beautiful and nice and beautiful…' Kara rambled gently, stepping closer to Lena and taking her other hand.

'You've thought about it? You think I'm beautiful?' Lena asked, smiling widely. In her wildest dreams she hadn't expected Kara to be interested. Though it made sense now why the other woman hadn't reciprocated or acted uncomfortable with the flirting, given she hadn't bloody noticed it in the first place.

'Oh Rao.' Kara said, blushing again. Superhero or not, she had exactly zero chill. Suave and sophisticated were two modes she could never hope to achieve. Lena didn't seem to mind though.

'May I?' Lena asked permission, stepping even closer and tilting her head upwards. Even Kara understood what she wanted to do.

'Yes please.' Kara replied, before leaning down into the kiss.

It was better than Lena had anticipated, and she'd anticipated it a lot over the past few months. Kara's lips were so soft. Her hands had moved, one to the back of Lena's neck and one to her waist. They both became lost in it, and it was several minutes before they stopped for breath, foreheads leaning together.

'Let's go home for Christmas Lena' Kara said, taking Lena's hand.

'I suppose I can take a couple of days' Lena replied, smiling, before moving in to kiss her once again.


End file.
